By Waliya
THE proposal to hand ownership of mineral rights to landowners in PNG would split national unity and devastate the country’s vital mining sector, the PNG Chamber of Mines and Petroleum said.
So what when we own these resources?
PNG is currently selling its natural resources cheaply while the chamber and the government are sleeping.
Copper and gold are traded in US dollars and mining companies pay the government and landowners in lousy kina. For example, an ounce (32gm) of gold is about US$1,700 which means US$50,000 a kilo. In a year, a company produces about 100 tonnes, so do your maths.
These companies are ripping our natural resources cheaply and with the weak kina, these companies are laughing all the way to the banks.
So what is K12 million royalty paid to Ok Tedi landowners. That is just like giving some a one toea change from K100.
An apprentice diesel fitter in a BHP-owned mine in Australia would be paid A$14,000 or K52,000.
Our workers working in PNG mines are a cheap labour compared to our Australian counterparts even though we do the same jobs. Is this in the best interest of Papua New Guineans?
I say go ahead with your bill, Boka Kondra and Sir Julius Chan. The grassroots support the bill.
Papua New Guinea Mine Watch 
Fully support your comments here in PNG Mine watch. PNG Chamber of Mines & Petroleum are front agents of foreign Investors.
Thats right “Lawence”, the PNG Chanber of Mines is the representative body for the Mining Industry.
Good you worked that out, but it was no secret,.
However, the PNG COM is not a “front agents”, there is no agency relationship.
Rather, it is the peak representative body for the industry in PNG.
In the same way, you can no say that the PNG government is an “agent” of the peoples per se.
Thanks very much for your support!
Waliya
You don’t seem to get it.
The natural resources of PNG are are owned by the Nation and not by individuals.
If the Kondra Bill went through, which it WONT, the nation will cease to own the minerals in the ground.
They will be privately owned by just a few.
Why then do you suppose anything would be any different.
It would probably be far worse.
Think this through carefully.
You would then be in a position where you are still woring for a company but most of the nations revenue has been given to a few who have made their deal with the Mining Company operating the project.
Do you really support making afew people wealth while the rest of the nation is locked out?
Wesely,
Do we have to stress this again and again, that ownership of mineral rights by a few puts national unity in jeopardy and exacerbates our problems? Perhaps they’re new to this but, for heavens sake, can’t they even begin to see the enormous problems it would cause.
Thanks for consistent posting of common sense which if people begin to really think, they might even arrive at the truth.
JKross
Imagine two bricks.
One in each hand.
No, imagine that one brick is what we call ‘common sense”, the other brick is called “logic”.
Ok, now, imagine that between the two bricks successively, one at a time, are the heads of the likes of Lawrence Daveona expressing ideas of the kind above.
Now, imaging a symmetric horizontal arc of 180 degrees finishing at each end with the said bricks.
Now, imaging the head of each of the said supplicants equidistant between each brick but juxtaposed on that said arc.
Now, depending on the thickness of the skull of any one individual, move the two bricks as rapidly as humanly possible toward each other along and around the arc with as much force as on can muster as many times as is required to give assurance that the message has been delivered.
Ouch!!! But those bricks could even crack around here!
Waliya
As for your support for Sir Julius Chan you must, with the the most respect, be either misinformed or just plain crazy.
Chan is THE guy who caused the slaughted of tens of thousands of land owners at Bouganville, and, who shut down the PNG economy for 15 years.
He is as corrupt and morally bankrupt as they come.
You have to be kidding us!
The meek shall inherit the Earth………. and the evil shall be cut off from it….. The time shall come when all your hunger for power shall be turned into thirst for water…..when the fires of hell will be too hot and all the suffering and pain of the poor and innocent will be multiplied unto you….. but do not regret for your cup shall be filled to overflowing with your own iniquities…. thou shall drink the blood of the saints and the wrath of God….